Electro-magnetic rai lway-brake



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

0. J. VAN D EPOEL E.

ELECTED MAGNETIC RAILWAY BRAKE.

No. 367,685. Patented Aug. 2, 1887..

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N. PETERS. Pholoumogmpher, Washington, [IV C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. J; VAN DEPOELE.

ELEGTRO MAGNETIC RAILWAY BRAKE. No. 367,685. Patented Aug; 2, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

onARLEs J. VAN DEPOELE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRO-MAGNETI C RAILWAY-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part, of Letters Patent No. 367,685, dated August 2, 1887.

Application filed February 8, 1857'. Serial No. 226,954. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, (humans J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electro-Magnetic Railway Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to improvements in electro-magneto railway brakes of the class in which a solenoid is used to draw in a. plunger and thereby actuate the brake mechanism.

The details of construction and operation of my invention will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of the running-gear of a streetrailway car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the device shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the construction of the electromagnetic brakecylinder. Fig. 4 is a modification of the cyliuder shown in Fig. 3.

Similar letters denote like parts throughout.

A represents the track, B the wheels, and O the brake-bcams,which are supported in the usual or any well-known manner, and provided with shoes D, bearing against the peripheries of thewheels B. Under the center of the car,

. preferably between the wheels B B, is pivoted a lever-arm, E, which is formed at one end with an arc-shaped extension, 0, its other end being connected to a retracting spring, F. Brake-levers f are pivotally connected. to the brake-beams and coupled together at their lower extremities by a longitudinal rod, G. The upper ends of the brake-levers f are then connected to opposite portions of the lever E by rods II and I, so that when the lever E is moved in one direction the rods H and I and brake-levers will be drawn toward each other and the brake-shoes applied to the wheels, and when allowed to move in the opposite direction, in response to the action of the retractingspring F, the shoes will be moved and he] away from the wheels.

So far I have described only the brake system shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is substa r tially that in use on ordinary street-cars-that is, with hand-connections; but I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to any particular form of brake mechanism, since so many devices are and have been used to communicate the force of the prime motor to the brake-shoes against the wheels, and I propose to use any systemto which my improved electromagnetic apparatus is applicablefor example, the apparatus heretofore described by me and covered by Letters Pat eut Nos. 3%,894 and 347,904.

Instead of using an ordinary solenoid for the purpose of actuating the brake mechanism, I use a device of greatly-increased power,which is constructed as follows: A brass tube, M, which will readily receive the plunger or piston O, is formed with a number of longitudinal slots, m, and then provided with a large heavy coil of insulated copper wire, Q. So far the arrangement is substantially that of other inventors; but I further provide my motor device with a thick strong iron shell, R, which may be formed with lugs r, for the purpose of securing it in working position. The inner ends of the shell R are preferably screwthreaded, as indicated, and are formed to reeieve heavy iron end pieces, S T, which are likewise screw-threaded, and thereby firmly secured in position, completely inclosing and firmly holding and protecting the coil Q, and at the same time the magnetic force of the coils is largely augmented by the presence of the iron, which forms a very strong magnet and acts powerfully upon the iron plungerO,which, if desired, may be formed with an enlarged end or extension, 2, for the purpose of increasing the power of the magnet.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modification of the magnetic brakecylinder, in which two shorter coils are used instead of one. The cylinder R, just described, is made somewhat longer. A piece of iron is placed centrally within the cylinder and forms a powerful'magnet. Both of the end pieces, T T, are apertured to receive the iron pistons or plungers O O, which, when the device is in operation, are similarly attracted toward the central portion, V. The construction is otherwise similar to that already describcd, the terminals 1? N of the coils Q Q, being connected with the source of electricity in any suitable or convenient manner. The piston or plunger 0 is connected to a flexito and passes around the arc-shaped extension e of the pivoted lever E, by which the power developed in the magnetic cylinder is appliedto the brake system. The ret-ractingspring F will of course be of a sufficient strength to withdraw the plunger from the cylinder and release the wheels from the brakes whenever the current flowing in the coils Q, is less than sufficient to apply the brakes. The doubleacting cylinder shown in Fig. 4 will be found very convenient for application where doubleacting air-brake cylinders have been used.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. In a magnetic railway-brake, the combination, with a system of brakes, of a magnetic cylinder formed of a solenoid inclosed by an iron casing having iron ends, an iron plunger working in said cylinder, and connections, substantially as described, between the plun ger and the brake-system, as set forth.

2. In a magnetic railway-brake, a brakeaetuating cylinder formed ofa centrally-slitted brass tube, an iron plunger fitting thereinto,

a solenoid placed over said tube, an iron cylinder covering the tube and solenoid, and iron ends fitting into the cylinder and inclosing the central tube and the solenoid, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an electromagnetic railway-brake, a solenoid composed of a non-magnetic cylinder upon which properly-disposed helices or insulated conductors are wound, an iron exterior covering and end pieces, and an iron plunger arranged to be movable in the interior nonmagnetic cylinder, and connections, substantially as described, between the plunger and the brake mechanism, as set forth.

at. In an electromagnetic railway-brake, the combination, with the actuating-solenoid, of a plunger connected to the brake system and formed with an extended portion of magnetic material attached thereto, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iatfix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Vitnesses:

FRANKLAND J ANNUS, H. A. LAMB. 

